Canada and Romania sign new Administrative Arrangement

January 9, 2017 – Ottawa, ON

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) of Romania have signed today a new Administrative Arrangement.
The updated Administrative Arrangement implements the provisions of the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) and the Supplemental Protocol between Canada and Romania that ensure the peaceful use of nuclear technology.  This Protocol facilitates the transfer and reporting on tritium, tritium-related equipment and tritium-related technology between Canada and Romania. In addition to supporting the CNSC in its licensing of the import and export of nuclear items with Romania, the Administrative Arrangement stipulates the notification procedures and the annual reporting provisions for items subject to the NCA and the Supplemental Protocol.

Canada’s nuclear non-proliferation policy specifies that nuclear exports can only be sent to those states which have concluded an NCA with Canada. The original Canada-Romania NCA was signed on October 24, 1977. The Protocol supplementing the NCA was signed on July 31, 2015.

Specifically, the new Administrative Arrangement consolidates the various implementation documents associated with:

• the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Romania for Co-operation in the Development and Application of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes, signed at Ottawa on October 24, 1977
• the exchange of notes of October 12, 1994

• the Protocol between the Government of Canada and the Government of Romania Supplementing the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Romania for Co-operation in the Development and Application of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes, signed at Bucharest on July 31, 2015

Quotes

Quick facts

• An Administrative Arrangement outlines the mechanisms used to implement the provisions contained in the NCA and includes the procedures to be followed by both parties. Canada has 30 NCAs covering 57 countries.
• In 2015, Canada and Romania concluded a Protocol supplementing the Agreement from 1977, to facilitate the export of tritium, tritium-related equipment and technology in relation to the safe operation of pressurized heavy water reactors or tritium removal facilities.
• Romania operates two CANDU nuclear reactors which generate almost 20 percent of its electricity. These reactors also generate tritium. Last year, Canada and Romania concluded a Protocol supplementing the Agreement in order to facilitate the export of tritium removal technology and equipment for the construction of a tritium removal facility in Romania.
• Tritium is a non-fissile material that can be used to enhance the explosive capability of a nuclear weapon while reducing its physical size. Given this characteristic, tritium and tritium-removal technology and equipment are subject to Canadian and multilateral nuclear export controls.
• In addition to this Administrative Arrangement, the CNSC maintains similar arrangements with many other countries.

Contact

Aurèle Gervais
Media and Community Relations
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
613-996-6860
1-800-668-5284
cnsc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.ccsn@canada.ca